The case for Valerie Jarrett as Biden's VP - Kathleen Parker WaPo
The mystery of Joe Biden’s running mate takes me back to 2008, when the political world breathlessly awaited John McCain’s surprise pick. Back then, the whispered word was that Democrat-turned-independent Joe Lieberman was McCain’s top choice. But the powers that used to be wanted a relatively unknown dynamo from Alaska — then-Gov. Sarah Palin. After a chat with McCain in Sedona, Ariz., where all manner of magic is said to occur, the roguish, pro-life mom of five, got a wink and the nod — and changed the course of our politics. With three clicks of her red, shiny shoes, the wonder from Wasilla helped usher the Grand Old Party into a regressive era of ignorance, intransigence and an ideological muddle of racism, sexism and nationalistic xenophobia that ultimately produced a Confederate-flag defending, authoritarian-worshipping, Queens-bred reality-TV star named Donald Trump.
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Biden has promised to pick a woman, and pressure is mounting for him to pick an African American woman. This is in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, but also because of his obvious debt to the black female voters of South Carolina, who, upon the endorsement of the state’s elder statesman, Rep. James E. Clyburn, are credited with handing him the Democratic nomination.
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But two other names, one of them as yet unmentioned, stand out — former U.N. ambassador Susan Rice and, wait for it, former Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. Both women are whip smart, highly trained and experienced in world affairs. Both know Biden well and are highly qualified to assist him on both international and domestic fronts. Neither has experience running for high office, but there are more important things. Should the worst come to pass, either woman could skip orientation and start fully equipped to lead. Indeed, Jarrett, a lawyer, businesswoman and Stanford graduate, was basically a shadow president for eight years next to Obama.
Though Rice also served as Obama’s national security adviser, she’s unfairly freighted with political baggage that Jarrett, working behind the scenes, has escaped. Recall 2012 when Rice, stepping in for then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, reported on five Sunday news shows that attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, were a “spontaneous” reaction to a viral, anti-Muslim video. When subsequent investigations proved otherwise, Rice was unfairly accused of “lying.” I defended Rice at the time and stand by that column.
Jarrett, meantime, was “in the room,” as she has put it, on nearly every crucial issue during the Obama administration. Having spent time with her socially and in the White House, I can attest to her graciousness, intelligence and absolute discretion. She’s no one’s fool and holds her cards close. While serving the president, she also pursued her own projects, speaking often on the country’s toxic politics, the need for compromise and issues of the day. During a recent Axios interview, asked to comment on Biden’s vice presidential choices, Jarrett said, “I trust him completely to pick the right person.” Here’s looking at you, Valerie.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-case-for-valerie-jarrett-as-bidens-vp/2020/07/07/1c89caf8-c08f-11ea-9fdd-b7ac6b051dc8_story.html
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